Heartbroken mother whose twin babies died at birth discovers she is pregnant again nine weeks later - with TWINS

She was still grieving for the twin babies she had lost just weeks before.

So Barbara Short couldn't believe the news when doctors confirmed she was pregnant again - with twins. 

The 32-year-old, from Hartlepool, had been devastated when her twins Ava and Alfie, born at just 23 weeks, had died.But just over two months later, she received the wonderful news that she was pregnant again - and there were two heartbeats.

She added that while she was 'overjoyed when the babies were born healthy,' she still felt an emptiness for the children she had lost. 

She has now given birth to another set of twins - Frankie and Lilly Wallace.Ms Short said: ‘It’s as if Ava and Alfie have been sent back to me. I can’t believe how I can be so blessed to have another two and be able to take them home with me. 

‘Everyone, even the doctors, were shocked at me having two sets of twins in less than a year. It was definitely meant to be that I was given Frankie and Lilly.’

Ms Short suffered complications almost as soon she found out she was pregnant in April 2012 and just 23 weeks into her pregnancy she was rushed to hospital and gave birth.Tiny Ava Wallace and Alfie Wallace were born at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton. 

Ava came into the world at 2.50am weighing just 9oz, while Alfie was born 10 minutes later and weighed 1lb.

The pair - who Ms Short says could have fitted into the palm of her hand - were taken to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and placed on ventilators.

But Ava lost her fight eight hours after she was born and Alfie battled on for just a few more hours before dying at 4.30pm on the same day.

Former delivery driver Ms Short, who has two older children, Molly-Jo Short, seven, and four-year-old James Wallace, said her world came crashing down after their deaths.She said: ‘I felt like I was looking in on someone else and it wasn’t me. I’d had two babies, but I was going home with none. 

‘None of it seemed real. I was empty, my stomach was empty, but yet I had nothing. I still haven’t got over that and I don’t expect I ever will.’

But just nine weeks later Ms Short went from despair to happiness when she discovered that she was pregnant again - with twins.

And unlike her pregnancy with Ava and Alfie, she had no health problems and went into labour at a safer 36 weeks. 

After a Caesarean birth, Ms Short delivered Frankie and Lilly on July 22 last year at 4.17pm. 

Although Frankie was not breathing when he was born, doctors worked on him and he took his first breath six minutes later.Lilly was taken home two days after her birth and Frankie came home five days later, after being looked after in the special care baby unit.

Ms Short, who has since split from the babies’ father, said seven months on, both babies are healthy and Frankie is ‘really stern and serious’ and Lilly is ‘full of smiles’.

Ms Short said: ‘It’s hard to explain but when they were born I was over the moon, but at the same time I was still grieving for Ava and Alfie. 

‘But even though they have filled the void, I’ll still always feel an emptiness for the two I lost, especially when I go to the cemetery.

‘I know their souls are with us though. They can never be replaced.’

EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Harding: 'I was too skinny when I was in Girls Aloud, it was ageing' Singer talks weight, family plans and her new album

She was one fifth of the biggest and most glamorous girl group in pop's history. But reflecting on her time with Girls Aloud, Sarah Harding has admitted that she was too thin.

Speaking to MailOnline, Sarah said: 'I was too skinny when I was with the girls, it was ageing.' 

The 32-year-old has now adopted a much more healthy approach to her weight and, like many celebrities, has jumped on the juicing bandwagon.

A spaghetti strap slip is perfect to enhance a boyish figureThis chiffon slip dress is a winner for Sarah Harding. Spaghetti straps are perfect at enhancing a boyish figure with a skinny top as they will balance your out. (Please do not attempt this look if your arms are anything less than perfect as a tiny strap will make them look way bigger. Trust us on this.)

The underwear as outerwear style popularised by Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton last year is still likely to be around later this season as well so if you buy the bright blue version of this dress at Topshop - there are only a few left but they are reduced to £15 (unfortunately the ice blue one that Sarah is wearing is last season so unavailable) you'll still be on trend if you wear it come summer.

Fashion Finder is particularly keen on the teal dress in the ASOS Petite range - not least because Teal and Electric Blue have been all over the AW14 catwalks so be an early adopter and get in there!

We do admit that it is still rather chilly to wear a little sun dress though so we've put in the mix an ice blue swing shift with long sleeves that is rather more season approp.

A word on the styling. We do get where the stylist was going matching the lippy to the shoes but really? Rather a fun statement wedge or a nude pump. Over and out.

Everton reject Mustafi called up by Germany... after being released on a free transfer by Moyes

A defender released by David Moyes while at Everton has been handed a surprise call up to the Germany squad by Joachim Low.

Shkodran Mustafi, now 21, was let go on a free transfer by Moyes in 2012 after making just one substitute appearance for the Goodison Park side.

But he has flourished at current club Sampdoria and has now been deemed good enough to make the Germany squad for their friendly with Chile on Wednesday.Centre-back Mustafi was a German youth international right through his time at Everton but made his only appearance as a substitute for Tony Hibbert in a Europa League tie with BATE Borisov in December 2009.

He moved on to the Serie A side in January 2012 for nothing and has since made 41 appearances.

Mustafi has a relatively low profile in Germany but was a member of the side that won the European Under-17 Championships in 2009 and has two Under-21 caps. He is one of four newcomers selected by Loew for the friendly in Stuttgart, alongside Matthias Ginter of Freiburg, Pierre-Michel Lasogga of Hamburg and Andre Hahn of Augsburg.

They could feature alongside stars Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Gotze, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski in the match as Low decides his squad for the World Cup finals in Brazil. 

'Many players, including key players, are still injured or just back from injuries and not yet in full form,' Low said.

'Now is the chance to act and find solutions and alternatives. That is why we brought some new faces.'

Mustafi was born in Germany but is also eligible for Albania because of his family heritage.

'I'm trying to get my girl back': Emotional Robin Thicke dedicates song Lost Without U to estranged wife Paula Patton at first concert since split

He said earlier in the day that he wanted to get back together with his estranged wife Paula Patton.

And Robin Thicke reiterated this point in an emotional tribute to the actress in his first concert since their split.

'For y'all that don't know me and my wife separated, but I'm trying to get my girl back. She's a good woman,' the 36-year-old told the audience at a scheduled gig in Fairfax, Virginia on Thursday evening. The singer then sang Lost Without U after admitting he had written the song for his wife.

Robin was certainly dressed the part as he took to the well-lit stage to perform and wore his wedding ring throughout the show.

The Blurred Lines singer told TMZ photographers earlier in the day that he is 'just trying to get her back.'

The father-of-one had canceled three concerts following their split, which the couple announced on Monday.Curiously, on the same day, the singer's stunning estranged wife's West Hollywood home was bombarded with copious amounts of expensive looking floral arrangements.

Meanwhile back in Los Angeles, a gaggle of burly men were tasked with the responsibility of delivering multiple enormous and elaborate bouquets of flowers to Paula's place.

Perhaps the flowers were a gift from Robin as a part of his efforts to get back in her good graces.The antics come after the couple told People magazine in a joint statement on Monday: 'We will always love each other and be best friends, however, we have mutually decided to separate at this time.'

Paula, 38, is said to have called time on the marriage last Friday and wasn't moved by her spouse's last ditch attempt to persuade her differently.

He flew to Canada, where she was filming, but the grand gesture didn't change the mother-of-one's mind. Months of embarrassment over Robin's twerking routine with Miley Cyrus and dodgy photographs of him groping random socialite Lana Scolaro's bottom apparently pushed the stunning Paula - an incredible catch - to end the relationship.

The actress reportedly had a huge argument with the singer following the show, saying the raunchy routine - which featured the then-20-year-old twerking up against her spouse - was insulting to her, particularly as it took place in front of a huge TV audience.

According to TMZ, Paula felt 'utterly disrespected' by her husband's willingness to go along with Miley's improvised antics.However, People magazine is reporting that the split may not necessarily result in actual divorce.

'Who knows what will happen? They do love each other. They are very good friends and will continue to be as strong and as good friends as they can be,' a source told the publication.

The source continued: 'I can truly see them being the best of friends no matter what happens. They still admire each other. She'll always be his biggest fan and he'll always write songs about her and put her on a pedestal.'

Paula and Robin have one son together, Julian, who is almost three.

Shocking moment heroin couple kidnapped terrified quadriplegic man and robbed him of just £6 to fund their drug habit

A heroin addict couple who kidnapped a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic so they could rob him of £6 to fund their drug habit have been jailed.

Adam Webster, 38, and Sarah Harcourt, 35, abducted Stephen Dooley, 38, from his book stall at a council activity centre in Norwich and pushed him to a nearby park to take his money.

The pair, who have almost 100 previous convictions between them, robbed the helpless disabled man of what little coins he had and then left him to get home on his own last August.Their victim Mr Dooley was struck down by meningitis as a nine-day-old baby and left disabled by the devastating illness.He was waiting to be picked up from Norwich's Vauxhall Resource Centre when the thieves wheeled him to nearby Chapelfield Gardens and mugged him of all his cash.

The crime has left Mr Dooley too devastated and terrified to go out and confidence is in tatters, the court heard.

In his own victim statement, he said: 'Working on the book stall was the one thing I did by myself.

'I enjoyed doing this and I miss it lots.

'I could go alone in a taxi.

'It was nice to be able to go to the centre without my family, but now I am too scared to go.'

Harcourt, of Norwich, had already admitted robbery and kidnap when she was jailed yesterday.

Webster, also of Norwich, was found guilty of both offences after he was tried at Norwich Crown Court last month.

Giving evidence during the trial from behind a screen with the help of an interpreter and intermediary, Mr Dooley told Richard Potts, prosecuting, how he was 'afraid and scared' when he was kidnapped.

Jonathan Morgans, defending Harcourt, who has 43 previous convictions for 97 offences between 1992 and 2013, said she wanted to 'apologise' for what she had done.

Mr Morgans said the crimes were committed against a background of an 'out of control drug addiction' to heroin.

Lori Tucker, for Webster, who has 37 convictions relating to 117 offences, said he was a 'subordinate' in the offence.

She said he too had been addicted to heroin from just 13 after an 'extremely unhappy childhood' during which he was the victim of abuse.

Judge Anthony Bate jailed Webster for six years and Harcourt for four years, 12 weeks at the crown court yesterday.

He said they both had 'appalling criminal records' and became 'partners in opportunistic crimes'.Judge Bate told the couple: 'This was a despicable joint crime driven by self-centred greed and as usual an utter disregard for your victim's feelings.'

Last night Mr Dooley's shocked father, the Rev Gerald Dooley, said he struggled to comprehend why two people would do this and said the crime was 'way outside humanity'.

The vicar said in a statement after the case: 'Your hear things all the time but you never think something like this will happen to your family.'Stephen's proud sister Vicky Shucksmith said she admired her brother's immense bravery to give evidence in court.

She said: 'The trial lasted for three weeks and Stephen gave evidence over three days.

'It was hard for us and distressing to see but he wanted to do it.

'He didn't want them to get away with it.'

Investigating officer, Det Con Jim Starling, of Norwich CID, said afterwards: 'Harcourt and Webster are the lowest of the low.

'For two people to target a man who clearly has no means of defending himself or even calling for help is beyond belief.

'Stephen would have been visibly distressed during the incident, but this didn't stop them pushing him to the park and robbing him of a few pounds before abandoning him on the street.'

He added: 'Stephen needs constant care and is never alone and, understandably, has been left very distressed by what happened.

After sentencing both defendants, Judge Bate paid tribute to the 'spirit' and 'strength of personality' of Mr Dooley.

He said: 'Whilst this experience has undoubtedly been distressing for him, I hope that, with time and the loving support of his close family, he will gain a measure of closure and begin to engage again with the outside world, which I believe is enriched by his company.'

Couple who spent five years building Britain's greenest home by HAND must tear it down after refusing to get planning permission because it was 'against their principles'

A couple who spent five years building Britain’s greenest home by hand, using old railway sleepers and lorry tyres, have been ordered to tear it down.

Matthew Lepley and Jules Smith decided not to ask for planning permission from Torridge District Council in Devon because it takes consumes too much paper and energy, and defies their eco-friendly 'personal principles'.

Mr Lepley, 34, and Ms Smith, 54, moved from a London tower block to the countryside in 2009, and lived in tents while they constructed their dream house by hand.They lived off the land while they constructed the one bedroom cabin from scrap wood and metal. They also shunned the use of power tools in their quest to live 'at one with nature'. The final product has no electricity or running water and a compost heap for a toilet.

Officials have now served Matthew, 34, and Jules, 54, with an enforcement notice ordering them to 'remove' it from their field in in Beaworthy, Devon.

Mr Lepley said: 'We wanted to build a home that would let us truly live as one with nature. We used recycled materials, an axe to break up the wood and hand tools to piece the structure together.'The process was a lot slower but it was extremely satisfying. We wanted to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. The plans for the house have changed over the years in accordance to our needs and nature. The heat comes from a woodburner which heats the water for the bathroom. 

'We don’t have electricity but we get by with paraffin lamps and candles. This life is not for everyone but we love it - it enables us to live a therapeutic lifestyle and be self-sufficient.

'We took the decision to build without planning permission because the council’s procedure is not environmentally friendly enough and it goes against our personal principles.'Mr Lepley and Ms Smith left their jobs as carers in London give years ago and fled a 'pent-up' tower block in Wood Green, north London. They bought a 20-acre field and set aside £20,000 for construction costs, then scoured farmland and scrap yards for unwanted junk.The foundations were made from old tractor tyres filled with gravel, while the walls and roof were build from discarded haulage pallets and railway sleepers.

Despite having just one bedroom, a lounge, a kitchen and a bathroom to build, the building has taken years to complete because of the low-tech methods of construction.

The couple feed themselves by growing their own fruit and vegetables. They rear ducks for their eggs and sheep for wool. Instead of a fridge they use a compartment two and a half feet underground to keep it cool.

Their water is drawn out of the ground with a bore hole, and all the waste from their outside compose toilet is recycled.

The couple say their neighbours were initially supportive of their ambition to live a self-sufficient lifestyle on the remote woodland plot.

But when they revealed plans to turn their rustic retreat into a conservation business, hosting workshops in green engineering and 'permaculture', locals turned against them.

Mr Lepley said the pair ignored local planning rules as they breached their eco-friendly principles.They hoped their unique dwelling would not attract any complaints - meaning it would automatically gain retrospective permission after four years.But two years into the build a local opponent gathered ten signatures and submitted the petition to Torridge District Council’s planning department. 

The first enforcement was appealed three years ago, and the couple are now going through a second round.

Mr Lepley said: 'There is a chronic lack of affordable housing in this country and very few options for people on a low income. It’s not illegal, though we knew there was a risk someone might complain.

'We’ve had a lot of drama with the neighbours, some have been really supportive while others have gone against us and started a petition. We were hoping no one would notice as its only visible within the dwelling and can’t be seen from the road. 

'The idea of the conservation project was to provide retreat accommodation and run courses and workshops on sustainable living. The house and surrounding land enables us to be totally self sufficient - we would be devastated if we had to knock down.'

Torridge District Council said the process had gone to appeal to decide if the notice is to be enforced and the house torn down.

A spokesman said: 'I can confirm Torridge District Council has served an enforcement notice that they remove the structure. However, as it has now gone to appeal, we have to wait for the inspector’s decision before we can take any further action.'

Frosty the kitten found frozen solid in a block of ice is rescued

A kitten found frozen inside a block of ice and stuck to the road has been saved and is expected to recover fully.

A driver who found a the tiny kitten frozen to the road in northeast Ohio says she thought at first it was a chunk of ice.

Shocked when the block of ice tried to move, Dara Taylor quickly realised it was a live animal and rescued the little grey cat.

The Elyria, Ohio resident told The Chronicle-Telegram that she found the cat on Monday and that he was so covered in ice she suspects he had been doused in water and left in the cold.

‘As I got out of the car, I could hear him meowing so loudly and pitifully and his little heart was beating so fast,’ she said.Frosty – as he has since been named – was unable to open his eyes because of the ice when Dara took him to the Friendship Animal Protective League.

The group’s chief financial officer, Shelley MacDonald, says the 5-month-old cat has warmed up and is being treated for a respiratory infection. Officials are hopeful he will fully recover.

The organization says it is already getting adoption requests for the kitten, which has been named Frosty.

Phone video warning after hairdresser stabbed to death at salon

Onlookers who recorded mobile phone footage as a hairdresser was stabbed to death have been urged by police not to put the images online.

They would risk adding to the torment of 20-year-old Hollie Gazzard’s loved ones, officers warned as the stylist’s family paid tribute to their ‘beautiful, happy and loving girl’.

Ch Insp Neil Smith, of Gloucestershire police, said videos – taken both during the attack and in the aftermath – should be handed in as evidence.

‘I would like to put in the press very strongly that individuals who took part in any filming do not put this on social media and do not put it on the internet,’ he said.

‘I am sure anyone related to the lady who has died would not like to see this footage uploaded onto social media websites.

‘It would not be a respectful thing to do, especially when the family are in mourning. This was a very, very nasty incident.’

Miss Gazzard died on Tuesday at the Fringe Benefits salon in Gloucester where she worked.

Ch Insp Smith added: ‘This is an isolated incident. This is an incident whereby the victim and suspect did know each other, they were in a previous relationship and I need to assure the communities within Gloucester that it is a safe place to be.’

A man of 22, thought to be her ex-boyfriend Asher-Thomas Maslin, has been arrested.

Wales 'Left Out' Of Govt Floods Clean-Up Cash

The mayor of a flood-hit Welsh town has said the Government must do more to help those across the UK after it emerged funds pledged by the Prime Minster are only for communities in England.

Earlier this month, the Prime Minster announced "money is no object" when it comes to dealing with the flooding that has forced hundreds of people from their homes.

Sky News has learnt that measures announced by the Government, including the fund for farmers, the £5,000 pledged for homes and businesses, business rate relief and council tax relief, apply only to England.

In Wales, flood relief is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

Downing Street says it will look at any application made by the Welsh Government for more help.

The Mayor of Rhyl, where 130 homes flooded in December, says the pledge from the Prime Minister raised the hopes of many of the residents still unable to move back to their flood-damaged homes, only to find out it does not apply to them.

Mayor Andrew Rutherford told Sky News: "There's all this money that's now going to be made available ... is that just ringfenced for England because it's now hit down the Thames area?

"Yes we know it's bad, flooding for anybody is really bad, but if they're going to say 'well, okay, here's an endless pot of money'... are they going to pass that round to the other countries in the UK that have been equally affected?"

The majority of people affected in Rhyl were pensioners living in seaside bungalows.

Even as the sea defences broke, Kathleen Williams, 75, and her partner Gerald Woolliscroft had hoped to stay in their bungalow, which they chose as their "dream retirement home".

Volunteers from the RNLI urged them to leave but they stayed until it was no longer safe.

Along with their cat, Jet, they were brought out of their home in a lifeboat. Even now, work has barely begun to repair their home.

Downstairs there are no floorboards. leaving the joists exposed. It is cold and damp.

They have to trust their insurers are doing all they can. In the meantime they are staying in a caravan.

Kathleen told Sky News she is constantly worried about money and whether they will get insurance again after moving back in.

"Everything you've worked for and everything you've got has just gone" she said.

Another resident, John Cantrill, who retired to Rhyl with his wife June, says they are not sure they want to stay because of the fear it might flood again.

"You went from having a home, a car, lovely garden, everything to nothing within 15 minutes," he said.

Sky News understands the Welsh government has found it "unhelpful" that David Cameron had not made the position on funding for flood victims clear sooner - despite a visit to Pembrokeshire on Thursday.

Speaking after that visit, the Minister for Natural Resources, Alun Davies, said: "I am encouraged to see the Prime Minister visiting Pembrokeshire today to see at first hand how we have successfully managed the impact of flooding in Wales.

"We have noted with interest his suggestion that there may be further financial support available to help with the clean-up.

"We assume that as the PM chose to make this announcement in Pembrokeshire, not England, there will be additional funding for Wales and our officials are following this up as a matter of urgency.

"We would want to make sure extra funding is used to best fit local circumstances."

12 foreign women detained in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has detained a dozen women belonging to Central Asian countries in a bid to arrest two Uzbek women who fled the Islamabad Airport without passing through immigration counter.

The FIA raided three addresses in the Sector F-10 Markaz in a bid to arrest the women. According to the officials 12 women belonging to Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine were detained during the raids.

They said that some of the detained women were staying in Pakistan illegally after expiry of their visas.

PML-F General Secretary Imtiaz Sheikh resigns

KARACHI: Imtiaz Sheikh, General Secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), has resigned from his post after developing difference with the party, sources told Geo News.

Sheikh confirmed to Geo News that he had tendered his resignation however he declined to comment further.

The sources said that his resignation had been sent to PML-F chief Pir Pagara.

Meanwhile, PML-F leader Pir Sadruddin Rashdi met Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to discuss issues between the PML-F and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Sources said that he was also expected to go to Dubai to meet top leadership of the PPP.

Davis, White of US win Olympic ice dance gold

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Through 17 years of grueling practices, of defeats and victories,Meryl Davis and Charlie White insist they've never considered parting ways.

A perfect pairing, they were nearly flawless at the Sochi Olympics, and on Monday they became the first Americans to win an ice dance gold medal.

"The closest we came to breaking up, I can't pinpoint one because there hasn't been one," Davis, 27, said. "Certainly there have been struggles. It hasn't been easy to get where we are. ... It's a partnership which I couldn't have asked for more.

"Charlie and I are very different. We used those difference to balance it out. There has never been a moment of doubt."

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, the 2010 champions, took silver, while bronze went to Russia's Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov.

Davis and White won silver in Vancouver, but in the four years since they have overtaken the Canadians, their training partners in Detroit under Russian coach Marina Zoueva.

The reigning world champs scored 116.63 points in the free dance to finish with 195.52, 4.53 ahead of Virtue and Moir.

"No athletes like it to sit in this position," Moir said. "We came here to win the competition. But it's easier when we see them and know how hard these guys work."

When their program to "Sheherazade" ended with White on a knee, Davis rested her head on his back in exhausted elation. The two started skating together in 1997 in Michigan, and on the biggest day of their career, they performed just as they had visualized it.

"That in itself justified 17 years of hard work," White, 26, said.

The music swelling over the final minute of the program, their feet were in nonstop motion, yet every step was intricately choreographed. Their lifts were a blur as White spun across the ice with Davis held aloft, their movements and expressions still fierce despite the draining demands of the performance.

As they told the story of the Persian king and the woman who enchants him, White was regal in purple velvet, Davis beguiling in a lavender dress with jewels shimmering on her midriff.

They now have one medal of each color after winning bronze in the new team event in Sochi, the first American figure skaters to own three.

Virtue and Moir had become the first North American ice dance gold medalists at their home Olympics in Vancouver. Their free dance to Russian classical music told the story of their own partnership, which also stretches back to 1997.

In a performance at times tender and at others triumphant, Moir kissed her hand at the start and again throughout the program.

"I think there is relief," Moir said. "It has been a journey to get here since 2010, a lot of sleepless nights to get to the Olympic Games. If I could only have been that 22-year-old at Vancouver.

"The reason we stayed in is we wanted a different journey. Now, the pressures of this game are just melting away."

Ilinykh and Katsalapov were just ninth at last year's world championships but are now the latest Olympic ice dance medalists from Russia, finishing 7.51 points behind the Canadians. She's only 19; he's 22. The home fans started cheering when the first few notes of "Swan Lake" played for their free dance, and they were roaring when it ended with Katsalapov collapsed on his knees and Ilinykh weeping.

"The program builds and builds and builds," Katsalapov said through a translator, "and the audience gave us energy to keep building it more and more."

France's Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat were fourth, 6.26 points out of bronze. The other U.S. teams, Madison Chock and Evan Bates and siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani, finished eighth and ninth.

Russia has won 18 of 33 medals in ice dance's Olympic history, but now North Americans own two straight golds. Virtue and Moir have said they'll likely retire. For Davis and White, talk of the future can wait until this historic victory starts feeling real.

"We wanted to fight for the best performance we could give and we did that. You dream of this for so long, work so hard, and they worked hard, too," White said, referring to Virtue and Moir. "They always have been with us, pushing us, and we couldn't have done it without them."

Bocadillos in S.F.: Splendid tapas at reasonable prices

With the rise in popularity of Spanish restaurants and the opening of such high-profile places as Coqueta, some of the tried-and-true standbys get lost.

In revisiting for my Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants guide, I was impressed all over again by Bocadillos, Gerald Hirigoyen's decade-old tapas restaurant.

Hirigoyen has proven himself at his Basque-inspired Piperade, but under chef James LaLonde the food at Bocadillos is as fresh and exciting as the day it opened.

It's a place I'd go back to again and again, which seemed to be the thought of many others as I looked around the full house on a recent evening.I'd sampled about five versions of deviled eggs in as many days, but Bocadillos' version ($4) still rises to the top; in the center of the creamy yolk filling is a skewer with pepperoncini and poached shrimp. Every egg should be accessorized as grandly.

Steak tartare is equally as well represented on Bay Area menus, but the one here ($9) is a star. A horseradish vinaigrette moistens the chopped meat, which is served with house-fingerling potato chips.

I'm still trying to manipulate my dining schedule so I can drop in for a second act of the prawns a la plancha ($17), a chorus line of seafood on a rectangular plate, tails curled and heads pointing the same direction. They're sweet and succulent, accented with lemon confit and crisp bits of garlic. I don't remember when I've had such sweet shrimp.

Little Gem salad ($11) is generously coated in a black pepper-Mahon cheese dressing, punctuated with slices of radishes and thin squares of bacon. The menu also includes kale salad ($10) with avocado, lemon vinaigrette and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Crisp chicken wings ($11) feature a sweet-and-sour drizzle over their delicate batter. I loved the wings, but would have liked them even more without the embellishment.

Bavette steak ($16) is excellent, too - rare slices of meat fanned around a ramekin of chimchurri sauce. It's a generous portion and drives home what a bargain Bocadillos is.

For dessert, I can't pass up the caramel flan ($7) accented with maldon salt that brings out the custard's richness.

As with the food, the 50-seat interior has held up well, with a long dining counter wrapping the back walls by the bar and the kitchen. The tangerine-colored brick walls glow with artfully placed votive candles on metal holders. Most seating is in the middle, at a long communal table; bar-height tables hug the walls around the perimeter.

Service is professional and well timed. Dishes come out as courses, so a diner never feels rushed, even though people may be waiting for the seat.

Bocadillos is worth the wait, and worth many return visits.

Bocadillos

710 Montgomery St. (at Washington Street), San Francisco; (415) 982-2622.www.bocasf.com

Breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5-10 p.m. Saturday. Beer and wine. No reservations. Credit cards accepted. Difficult street parking.

Overall	Rating: THREE STARS		Atmosphere	Rating: THREE STARS
Food	Rating: THREE STARS		Prices	$$
Service	Rating: THREE STARS		Noise Rating	Noise Rating: FOUR BELLS

RATINGS KEY

FOUR STARS = Extraordinary; THREE STARS = Excellent; TWO STARS = Good; ONE STAR = Fair; NO STARS = Poor

$ = Inexpensive: entrees $10 and under; $$ = Moderate: $11-$17; $$$ = Expensive: $18-$24; $$$$ = Very Expensive: more than $25

ONE BELL = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); TWO BELLS = Can talk easily (65-70); THREE BELLS = Talking normally gets difficult (70-75); FOUR BELLS = Can talk only in raised voices (75-80); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

Prices are based on main courses. When entrees fall between these categories, the prices of appetizers help determine the dollar ratings. Chronicle critics make every attempt to remain anonymous. All meals are paid for by The Chronicle. Star ratings are based on a minimum of three visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit.

Reviewers: Michael Bauer (M.B.), Nicholas Boer (N.B.), Mandy Erickson (M.E.), Amanda Gold (A.G.), Janny Hu (J.H.), Allen Matthews (A.M.) and Carey Sweet (C.S.)

Video gamers spend $241 million on hardware in January

Number of the day

$241 million

That's how much was spent on video-game hardware in January, up 17 percent from a year earlier. Sony, vying with Microsoft for dominance of the U.S. console market, said itsPlayStation 4 sold twice the number of its nearest rival. (Microsoft's new Xbox Oneoutsold Sony in December.) The industry is monitoring demand for the new consoles to see whether they boost sales or if gamers have shifted permanently to smartphones and tablets.

Hear here

"You sign up for something called running the bulls, you think the only thing you'll get hurt by is a 1,200-pound bull, not a drone."

Eileen Peskoff, on being hit by a drone at a Virginia racetrack when the pilotless aircraft was filming a bull-running event, then lost control and dove into the grandstands where she was sitting. Drones flown for a business purpose are prohibited by the Federal Aviation Administration, yet that hasn't stopped companies from using them to make movies, inspect oil-field equipment, and map agricultural and commercial land.

Heads up

Safeway reports fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, and analysts estimate the supermarket chain will post a 52 percent decline in net income to $118 million. Revenue may fall 16 percent to $11.5 billion, reflecting the sale of its Canadian stores to Sobeys last year for $5.8 billion. Investors like the plan to shrink the Pleasanton company: Its stock has surged 46 percent since the deal was announced.

Tears flow in Sochi as US fails again in curling

OCHI, Russia (AP) — American curler Ann Swisshelm blew her nose in a tissue, wiped away some of her tears and stared down a sheet of ice for the final time in her career at the highest level of her sport.

At the end of the sheet was an electronic scoreboard. It read: South Korea 11, USA 2.

If that made for bleak reading for Swisshelm and curling fans all over the United States, they should avoid looking at the overall women's standings.

The U.S. women's team finished the Olympic curling tournament Monday in last place for a second-straight Winter Games, this time with just one win in nine games. The U.S. men's team didn't fare much better, finishing next to last at 2-7.

"I just wish I could start all over again," said U.S. player Debbie McCormick, who was the team's skip in 2010.

Understandably, back-to-back Olympic failures are leading to questions about the structure of curling in the U.S. at the highest level.

At present, teams in the U.S. are self-formed and made up of players who balance curling with their full-time jobs. U.S. skip Erika Brown, 41, is a mother of two and a physician's assistant who fits in curling practice during her lunch break. Teammate Jessica Schultz, 29, is a physical therapist's assistant.

Their team must compete against other teams made up of part-time curlers at the U.S. Olympic trials to reach the games.

Most rival nations tend to cherry-pick the best players for one elite team, which receives all the funding from that country. Britain, for example, lavished 5 million pounds ($8.4 million) on its top curlers in the last Olympic cycle. Russia and China have similar elite teams.

Will the U.S. have to go this way to stay competitive?

"I'm not in support of that," Brown said. "Just because, as somebody who has been in this game for so long, it's about the team and about relationships you develop.

"As much as it's an Olympic business these days, you're still in a pretty small, intimate team. I think there's enough top curlers in the U.S. that you can continue generating good competition."

Swisshelm said she wouldn't wish a such a system on anyone, in part because there is no professional tour or a way for a full-time curler to make a living in the game once their Olympic career is done.

"But if an organization goes to cherry-picking athletes and you have a mistimed injury, you have no education, no job skills," Swisshelm said. "What do you do?"

USA Curling accepts that changes need to be made to give the U.S. men's and women's teams a chance of winning gold. But Rick Patzke, chief operating officer of USA Curling, doesn't foresee a time — at least in the near future — where the U.S. has a single elite team.

"I think you need to bring more than just four people up," he said. "I think you need to have a program that funnels the right people to the top.

"We have always tried to embrace the traditions and culture of the sport but, on the flip side, if we aren't in the Olympics, how much interest are we losing? I think there has to be an understanding in the organization: Are we all in, in pursuit of medals? Or do we just have one foot in? There'll be good discussions in the coming weeks."

Heading into the Olympics, the Americans were seen as long shots for a podium finish. Erika Brown's rink finished fourth in the world championship last year and all four members of the team had previous Olympic experience.

But there has been embarrassment in Sochi, including conceding an Olympic-record seven points in one end to Britain. And huge defeats: to Britain (12-3), Denmark (9-2) and South Korea. And heartbreaking losses: a 7-6 extra-end defeat to first-place Canada and a 7-6 defeat to second-place Sweden.

"You have the No. 1 golfer in the world in Tiger Woods and every now and then he misses the cut," Swisshelm said. "Nobody begrudges him an off week. Unfortunately for us, that off moment happened right here in the Olympics."

The 45-year-old Swisshelm, of Chicago, said the defeat to Korea was her last competitive game. She doesn't know what's in store for her next. Brown, of Madison, Wis., said Sochi will likely be her last Olympics. McCormick, of Rio, Wis., will be 44 by the 2018 Games arrive in Pyeongchang.

The U.S. women's team is likely to have a very different look by then. They hope, too, for different results.

"We have to figure out how we elevate the best of the best in the U.S. to be the best of the best in the world," Patzke said, "because it's not happening right now."